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Exploring FinTech trends in Jordan: insights from the post-COVID-19 era
No full textPurpose: This study aims to investigate how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the growth of FinTech within the Jordanian context. Specifically, it examines the antecedent factors influencing users’ intentions to adopt and use FinTech services during this unprecedented period. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research method approach with partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to test the research proposed model. Findings: The results of the structural path revealed that the drivers of behavioural intentions to use FinTech services are perceived usefulness, perceived self-efficacy, perceived vulnerability, subjective norms, perceived severity, perceived certainty and resistance to use and these factors explain 79.5% of the variance of behavioural intention. Research limitations/implications: This study identifies key factors for FinTech acceptance in Jordan, offering actionable insights for policymakers and service providers. Building user trust in service and technology (security, effectiveness and transparency) is crucial, alongside leveraging social influence (testimonials, endorsements) and boosting awareness/knowledge through campaigns and educational initiatives. This study identifies key factors for FinTech acceptance in Jordan, offering actionable insights for policymakers and service providers. Building user trust in service and technology (security, effectiveness and transparency) is crucial, alongside leveraging social influence (testimonials, endorsements) and boosting awareness/knowledge through campaigns and educational initiatives. This study’s generalizability is limited by its sample, drawn from three Jordanian regions and dominated by potential users. Comparing actual and potential user perceptions, alongside including users from diverse contexts (e.g. other developing countries), could address this. In addition, using qualitative methods alongside the quantitative approach and exploring indirect relationships (mediating/moderating) would provide richer insights into FinTech acceptance in Jordan. Originality/value: While prior research has explored FinTech adoption, including studies conducted in Jordan, this study makes several key contributions. Firstly, it specifically examines FinTech trends within the post-COVID-19 era in Jordan, a period marked by accelerated digital transformation and evolving user behaviours. Secondly, it extends existing models of FinTech adoption by incorporating “perceived self-efficacy, perceived vulnerability, subjective norms, perceived privacy, perceived severity, perceived value, perceived certainty and resistance to use”, in addition to the established factors of “perceived usefulness and ease of use”. This expanded model provides a more holistic understanding of the drivers and barriers to FinTech adoption in this context. Finally, this research provides empirical evidence from the Jordanian market, offering valuable insights for financial institutions and policymakers seeking to promote FinTech adoption and financial inclusion in a developing economy undergoing rapid digital change. This focus on the post-pandemic Jordanian context, combined with the extended theoretical model, offers a novel contribution to the literature
iCities Report: Localising the SDGs: Towards transformative actions and base planning in Albany (WA).
Get PDFiCities Workshop: Localising the SDGs towards transformative actions is co-lead by the UNESCO Chair for Intermediate Cities, City of Albany and the University of Newcastle.The aim is collaboratively to build a local and global network to tackle common intermediate cities' challenges, propose solutions, disseminate good practices, and inform local government professionals concerning the SDGs with a particular focus on SDG 11 – Sustainable cities and communities: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable, and SDG 13 – Climate action: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
The methodology is based on the "Base Plan" methodology, an inclusive planning tool developed by UNESCO UdL-CIMES Chair for Intermediary Cities to identify "territorial logics" and strategic urban interventions. The Base Plan focuses on recognising, valuing and recovering the role of i-cities in the global network of urban-rural settings while accelerating transformative actions and projects aligned with the SDGs and the New Urban Agenda.
The workshop assembles local governments employees, stakeholders, community members, and academics in the thinking-planning-proposing process as a collective endeavour to; 1) Verify how existing/future local plans (Strategic and Structure Plans) and projects meet the i-City's future development needs with attention to its intermediate relationships with its region (spatially and functionally), and; 2) Cross-check how existing/future local plans (Strategic and Structure Plans) and projects meet the SDGs (or not) and propose future ones for existing urban realities: urban, peri-urban, rural, natural, observing the following systems: Built environment; Infrastructure and flows; Natural environment; Productive Activities; Culture & Society
Neurobiomarkers of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents and their significance for diagnosis and precision medicine: A narrative review
Get PDFThe application of neurobiomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders has garnered significant attention. However, due to the genetic and biological complexity of psychiatric disorders, reliable biomarkers are still lacking. In recent years, advances in genomics and neurobiology have led to new insights into the shared genetic architecture and neurobiological pathways of psychiatric disorders. Current genomic evidence indicates substantial genetic overlap among psychiatric disorders prevalent in children and adolescents, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety, depression, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder, suggesting that these disorders may share common neurobiological pathways and mechanisms. This review article summarizes the shared genetic architecture of various psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, which exhibit high polygenicity and significant genetic overlap. It discusses common and rare variants affecting overlapping biological pathways involved in neurotransmitter signaling, synaptic plasticity, immune regulation, and stress response. Findings from this review suggest that pleiotropy—where genetic variants influence multiple phenotypes—plays a central role in these disorders, particularly involving genes such as CACNA1C, GRIN2B, and SETD1A, which demonstrate cross-disorder effects and copy number variations, such as deletions of NRXN1 and mutations in SHANK3. These genes are associated with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and intellectual disabilities, showing potential as diagnostic biomarkers. The review article emphasizes the interconnected nature of psychiatric disorders by presenting evidence from genome-wide association studies, polygenic risk scores, and transcriptomic analyses. It also outlines opportunities for early identification of at-risk populations, transdiagnostic interventions targeting shared mechanisms, and biological treatments, all of which represent critical advances in clinical practice. Currently, there is a lack of highly sensitive and specific neurobiomarkers for psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents; however, research in genomics and neurobiology is opening new avenues for the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders. In-depth studies of genetic and environmental factors, along with the application of multi-omics technologies, hold promise for advancing the treatment of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents toward more precise and personalized approaches
Market performance and social sustainability practices across manufacturing supply chains: the role of sustainability information exchange and corporate motives
Get PDFPurpose – The burgeoning body of literature on socially sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is evidence of the growing interest in social practices in firms along supply chains.
However, the market benefits associated with collaborative SSCM practices remain unclear, particularly regarding how sustainability motives and sustainability information exchange impact these benefits. This study uses stakeholder theory (ST) and the supply chain practice view (SCPV) to empirically investigate the various sustainability motives driving collaborative social SSCM practices. Furthermore, our study explores whether sustainability information
exchange and sustainability motives act as mechanisms and boundary conditions influencing the relationship between collaborative social SSCM practices and supply chain market
performance.
Design/methodology/approach—Survey data were collected from 262 managers representing firms along manufacturing supply chains in Ghana, a country facing several social sustainability challenges. The survey data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings—This study identifies three distinct motives—performance-based motives, stakeholder relationship-induced motives, and morally induced motives—that influence
collaborative social SSCM practices. Notably, performance-based motives emerge as the most significant driver of collaborative social SSCM practices. Sustainability motives also positively
moderate the relationship between sustainability information exchange and market performance across manufacturing supply chains. The results further indicate that collaborative
social SSCM practices contribute positively to the market performance of firms across supply chains through effective sustainability information exchange.
Originality/value—This study presents a novel perspective in social SSCM literature by identifying multiple motives driving collaborative social SSCM practices. It also provides new insight into the boundary conditions and mechanisms through which social SSCM practices influence market performance across manufacturing supply chains.Purpose – The burgeoning body of literature on socially sustainable supply chain management
(SSCM) is evidence of the growing interest in social practices in firms along supply chains.
However, the market benefits associated with collaborative SSCM practices remain unclear,
particularly regarding how sustainability motives and sustainability information exchange
impact these benefits. This study uses stakeholder theory (ST) and the supply chain practice
view (SCPV) to empirically investigate the various sustainability motives driving collaborative
social SSCM practices. Furthermore, our study explores whether sustainability information
exchange and sustainability motives act as mechanisms and boundary conditions influencing
the relationship between collaborative social SSCM practices and supply chain market
performance.
Design/methodology/approach—Survey data were collected from 262 managers representing
firms along manufacturing supply chains in Ghana, a country facing several social
sustainability challenges. The survey data were analysed using partial least squares structural
equation modelling (PLS-SEM).
Findings—This study identifies three distinct motives—performance-based motives,
stakeholder relationship-induced motives, and morally induced motives—that influence
collaborative social SSCM practices. Notably, performance-based motives emerge as the most
significant driver of collaborative social SSCM practices. Sustainability motives also positively
moderate the relationship between sustainability information exchange and market
performance across manufacturing supply chains. The results further indicate that collaborative
social SSCM practices contribute positively to the market performance of firms across supply
chains through effective sustainability information exchange.
Originality/value—This study presents a novel perspective in social SSCM literature by
identifying multiple motives driving collaborative social SSCM practices. It also provides new
insight into the boundary conditions and mechanisms through which social SSCM practices
influence market performance across manufacturing supply chains.
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Keywords: Social sustainability practices; market performance; sustainability motives; SSCM
practices; supply chain practice view
TikTok and children: An Introduction
Get PDFTikTok's global popularity among children has sparked intense debate worldwide. Some argue that the platform's algorithmic design leads children down a rabbit hole of compulsive content consumption and encourages the imitation of socially harmful behaviours. Others highlight its positive role as a space for children to express their voices on social issues and engage in socialization. This Special Issue on TikTok and Children arises within this context as an attempt to explore the complicated issues surrounding the presence of children on TikTok, their usage of the app, and the cultures they partake in and proliferate on the platform. By showcasing a range of topics, methodologies, and disciplinary framings on how to study children and TikTok, the Special Issue provides a meaningful opportunity to think about balanced and practical approaches to maximise children's rights and agency, and to leverage on the range of platform cultures for positive child development
The Role of Pigment Epithelium-derived Factor in Breast Cancer Cell Metabolism
Get PDFThe thesis investigates the potential of PEDF as a novel regulator of metabolism and metastasis in breast cancer. Findings highlight PEDF's critical role in modulating glucose metabolism, mitochondrial function, and metastatic progression, proposing it as a promising therapeutic target. Additionally, PEDF enhances chemotherapy effectiveness while mitigating drug resistance and side effects, underscoring its value for developing improved metabolism-based breast cancer therapies, pending further validation
Challenging the Status Quo: Unravelling the Determinants of Referrals to and Maintenance Following Pulmonary Rehabilitation in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
No full textThis program of research, involving people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was designed to optimise referrals to a pulmonary rehabilitation program, and to understand factors that influence the maintenance of training-related gains following completion of an initial program. It comprised two studies: a multi-method study involving consumers, and a systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression of the existing literature
Quality issue management and disclosure in forensic science: A survey of practice and perceptions.
No full textAddressing calls for transparency regarding errors and limitations in forensic processes is an ongoing concern for the forensic science service provider community and the stakeholders it serves worldwide. Foundational to this goal is developing a consistent approach to the identification of issues that have, or could have, an impact on the quality and reliability of forensic results. A standardized approach to the classification of quality issues detected within forensic agency management systems may be the strategic key to supporting consistent identification and disclosure, along with enhancing a positive quality culture throughout forensic service providers and building understanding of "error" in forensic science with end users of forensic information. A survey of international forensic science service providers was conducted to gain deeper insights into current systems of issue identification, classification, management, and disclosure along with perceptions on quality issues, their use and communication by forensic agency staff. The survey results demonstrate that development of a standardized approach would be of significant value to the forensic science community and its stakeholders, with potential benefit not only to improved communication and use of quality issue data but also in advancing a positive culture of quality and credibility in forensic service provision to support justice outcomes
Top-Down and Bottom-Up Work Design: A Multilevel Perspective on How Job Crafting and Work Characteristics Interrelate
No full textTo date, there is surprisingly little empirical attention investigating how job crafting and work characteristics influence each other over time. But this matters because we know how powerful both work characteristics and the process of job crafting can be for important outcomes like job performance, engagement, and burnout. We propose a multilevel approach to understanding the interlinking of job crafting behaviors and cognitions with work characteristics. Specifically, we suggest that work characteristics operate in a top-down process to constrain or enable job crafting behaviors and cognitions, whereas job crafting behaviors and cognitions emerge over time via a bottom-up process to achieve a change in work characteristics. We review existing empirical evidence on these pathways but, since such research is scarce, we focus especially on identifying unanswered questions and future directions. To conclude, we recommend ways that these processes might be empirically captured, and advocate for attention to the possibility of virtuous spirals, or debilitating negative spirals, of these two powerful sets of variables
